34. Calder
Calder
The Elder Council had to be notified immediately.
I knew that as I stood there with far too much evidence of my secret world in my hands.
But what was I supposed to do? If I demanded Ethan hand over the box and then all his hard-won evidence disappeared…
well, he’d never fucking forgive me. I wouldn’t, if I were him.
No… I was gonna need to be more subtle about this, more careful.
“Should we take all this back to my place?” I offered, looking up at Ethan as I attempted to hide the growing worry in my belly. “Maybe we can pick up some food on the way before we start going through it all?”
Ethan stared at me for a long moment, a question lingering in his eyes.
I stared back, hoping he wouldn’t ask. He already knew too much.
I knew that before this entire thing started.
But now I saw just how uneducated I’d been.
Ethan wasn’t just informed, he was dangerously close to discovering my world.
And if he did… Well, there would be nothing I could do to save him.
“Yeah,” he said at last, not asking the questions I knew were burning inside him. “Sure. Food sounds good.”
Ethan started gathering his materials, carefully placing the photos back into their protective sleeves before returning them to the box.
I watched him, trying to keep my expression neutral despite the panic building inside me.
This collection was unprecedented. There were decades of sightings, evidence, and encounters that my kind had worked tirelessly to suppress.
The Elder Council had no idea such a thing existed.
"I've been thinking about getting takeout from that Thai place near your shop," Ethan said as he closed the lid on the box. "The one with the red door? Jake mentioned it was good."
I bristled at Jake's name but tried not to show it. "Yeah, their pad thai is decent. We can grab some on the way."
As Ethan lifted the box, I fought the urge to take it from him, to claim it as my own. The wolf inside me was snarling, demanding I protect our secrets at any cost. But I couldn't. Not without betraying the man I loved. Or without giving myself away.
"You okay?" Ethan asked, pausing at the bedroom doorway. "You look like you're about to be sick."
"I'm fine," I lied, forcing a smile. "Just... overwhelmed by how much research you've done. It's impressive."
His face lit up at the compliment, and guilt twisted in my gut. "Thanks. Sometimes I thought I was crazy for collecting all this. My therapist definitely told me not to look at it again.”
We made our way out of the apartment, the box clutched tightly in Ethan's arms. I kept scanning our surroundings, alert for any threat, whether it be from the rogue wolf or, increasingly likely, from my own kind. If the Council discovered what Ethan had collected before I could figure out how to handle this... he’d be hunted by every wolf, demon, and witch within a hundred miles.
"Do you think any of this will actually help?" Ethan asked as we reached my bike. "Or am I just a crazy person with a box of nightmares?"
I secured the box to the back of my motorcycle with bungee cords, making sure it was tight. "This is the furthest thing from crazy, pup. You've collected more evidence than anyone I've ever known."
He just had no idea how dangerous that was.
As we rode back toward my place, stopping briefly for food, I couldn't stop thinking about Trevor's warning. The Council would use Ethan as bait if they had to. And if they discovered his collection? They might decide he was too dangerous to keep alive, mate bond or no mate bond.
By the time we arrived home, night had fallen, the Halloween decorations in my neighborhood casting eerie shadows across the yard. Ethan carried the food while I brought in the box, setting it carefully on my dining table.
"So," Ethan said as he unpacked the Thai containers, "where do we start?"
I stared at the box, mind racing. "Let's eat first. Then we can relax for a bit before we start. It’s been a long day.”
Ethan nodded. “Yeah. I wouldn’t mind a little normal time for a moment.”
I smiled back at him, scoffing internally. Normal. As if I’d know anything about that.
We ate in silence for a while, both lost in our own thoughts.
I picked at my pad thai, appetite diminished by the weight of my predicament.
The fragrant spices that would normally have my mouth watering barely registered as I watched Ethan eat across from me.
He seemed more relaxed than he had been at his apartment, his shoulders less tense, his movements less hurried.
"This is really good," he said, breaking the silence. "We should get takeout from there more often."
"More often," I echoed, warming at the casual way he assumed a future together. Despite everything, that thought still made my wolf rumble with satisfaction. "Sounds like a plan."
Ethan set down his fork, studying my face. "What’s wrong, Calder?” He leaned closer, his brows furrowed. “Why are you so far away right now?”
For half a second I played with the idea of telling him the truth. But I knew I couldn’t do that. If I told him I was a werewolf, he’d run. I had no doubt about that. But I didn’t want to keep talking about the box and dancing around the subject either. Maybe what I needed was a… distraction.
“Honestly,” I lied as I put my food down. “I know things are hectic right now, but I can’t stop thinking about… you.”
His eyes lit up. “Me? What about me?”
I stood up, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him close to me in one swift motion. “I can’t stop thinking about how much I want to fuck you again.”
Ethan smiled, clearly some small doubt swept away by my partially true words. “I thought for half a second that you were pulling away from me again.”
“Never,” I replied, shaking my head. “I told you. You belong to me, pup. I’m never going to let go. If… If anyone walks away, it’ll have to be you.”
Ethan bit his lower lip. “You know… when you talk like that… it makes me really hard.”
"That's the idea," I growled, pulling him flush against me.
His breath caught as our bodies pressed together, the evidence of his arousal hard against my thigh.
I dipped my head to nuzzle at his neck, inhaling deeply the scent that had become as essential to me as breathing.
My wolf stirred beneath my skin, pleased by the way Ethan's heartbeat quickened, the way his pupils dilated with lust.
"What about the box?" he asked, though his hands were already sliding under my shirt, contradicting his half-hearted protest.
"It can wait," I murmured against his skin. "We have all night to go through it."
I captured his mouth in a hungry kiss, walking him backward until he bumped against the counter. My hands found his hips, lifting him easily to sit on the edge. Ethan's legs wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer as his fingers tangled in my hair.
"God, you're strong," he gasped when I broke the kiss to trail my lips down his throat. "It's so fucking hot."
If only he knew the full extent of my strength, what I could truly do if I didn't constantly hold myself back. The thought was both thrilling and terrifying.
"You have no idea," I said, my voice rougher than I intended. I slid my hands beneath his thighs, lifting him from the counter in one smooth motion. "Let’s take this somewhere more private."
Ethan clung to me as I carried him, his mouth hot against my neck, teeth nipping at my skin in a way that made my wolf rumble with approval. By the time I reached the bedroom, we were both breathing hard, clothes half-undone.
I laid him on the bed with more care than my urgency warranted, standing back to drink in the sight of him. His blonde hair was tousled, lips swollen from my kisses, green eyes dark with want. Mine. Every instinct in me screamed it.
"You're staring," he said, a flush creeping up his neck.
"Can't help it," I replied, pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it aside. "You're beautiful."
Ethan's eyes roamed over my chest, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. "So are you."
I crawled over him, caging him with my body as I leaned down for another kiss. This one was slower, deeper, filled with all the things I couldn't say. His hands explored my back, my shoulders, everywhere he could reach.
"I want you inside me," he whispered against my lips. "Please."
The need in his voice broke the last of my restraint. I made quick work of our remaining clothes, both of us naked and panting within moments. I reached for the lube in the bedside drawer, coating my fingers generously.
Ethan spread his legs in invitation, his cock hard against his stomach. I circled his entrance with slick fingers, watching his expression of delight and anticipation.
"Please," Ethan begged, his green eyes opening to lock with mine. "Just fuck me. Don’t wait…”
I nodded slowly, slicking my thick cock with lube before positioning myself between his thighs. The head of my cock pressed against his prepared entrance, and I had to fight for control as I pushed forward.
The sensation of sinking into him was overwhelming, the tight heat enveloping me inch by inch. Ethan's legs wrapped around my waist, pulling me deeper until I was fully seated inside him. He took me so easily. But then again, he was probably still stretched out from the night before.
"God, you feel amazing," I groaned, holding still to let him adjust. "I’m never gonna get used to this.”
"Shutup," he commanded, his hands gripping my shoulders. "Fuck me, Calder. Hard."
Something primal surged through me at his words. I pulled back almost completely before thrusting forward with a force that made the headboard slam against the wall. Ethan cried out, but the sound was one of pleasure, not pain.
I set a punishing pace, driven by a need that defied explanation. Each thrust buried me deeper inside him, claiming him, marking him as mine. My wolf howled with satisfaction, reveling in the connection to our mate.
"Mine," I growled against his neck, unable to stop the possessive word from escaping. "Mine."
"Yes," Ethan gasped, his nails digging into my back. "Fuck yes, Calder, I'm yours."
I shifted my angle slightly, hitting that sweet spot inside him with every thrust. His cries grew louder, more desperate, his cock trapped between our bodies leaking precum onto his stomach.
"Touch yourself," I commanded, my voice rough with exertion and need. "I want to feel you cum around me."
Ethan's hand snaked between us, wrapping around his length and stroking in time with my thrusts. The sight of him pleasuring himself while I fucked him was almost enough to push me over the edge.
"That's it," I encouraged, feeling him tighten around me. "Cum for me, pup."
His body tensed beneath me, back arching off the bed as his release hit him. Hot spurts of cum coated his chest and belly, his ass tightening around me. I couldn’t help slamming myself to the hilt at the same moment, my cock pulsing inside him as I flooded him with my seed.
“Fuck…” I growled deep in my throat as I collapsed on top of him.
“My thoughts exactly,” Ethan replied, wrapping his arms around me. “That was amazing.”
I chuckled against his neck, inhaling his sex-laced scent. “Uh-huh,” I muttered, still feeling his ass tight around my cock. “I… I wanna do it again.”
Ethan pushed me back for a moment, looking me in the eye. Then he smiled. “Okay. So do it again.”
“R-Really?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, Calder,” he grinned before pulling me into a deep keep. When he finally let me go he grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled my head back, a glint of mischief in his eye. “Now fuck me again.”